Releasable components for a golf club

ABSTRACT

The invention generally relates to releasable components for use on golf club heads. In certain aspects, the invention provides a releasable component, including, but not limited to, a face insert, damping insert, discrete weight insert, crown panel, sole panel, heel or toe panel, skirt panel, and the like that may be interchangeable so as to provide customization of the golf club to suit the player&#39;s needs. In some embodiments, the releasable component includes an attachment feature configured to releasably engage a corresponding attachment feature on the club head body by way of friction fit. In some embodiments, the releasable component includes a tool interface configured to releasably engage a tool to allow improve the process of attaching or removing the component to or from a golf club head.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure generally relates to golf equipment, and, moreparticularly, to releasable components for use on golf club heads.

BACKGROUND

The complexities of golf club design are known. The specifications foreach component of the club (i.e., the club head, shaft, grip, andsubcomponents thereof) directly impact the performance of the club.Thus, by varying design specifications, a golf club can be tailored tohave specific performance characteristics. Among the more prominentconsiderations in club head design are loft, lie, face angle, horizontalface bulge, vertical face roll, center of gravity, rotational moment ofinertia, material selection, overall head size, and overall head weight.

Golfers at all skill levels seek to enjoy golf, generally by improvingtheir performance, lowering their golf scores, and reaching that nextperformance “level.” Golfers need golf clubs that can be used to hit theball the right distance in the intended direction and enjoy the gamemore when the golf clubs have been customized and personalized to matchtheir abilities and preferences. There have been attempts to offergolfers the ability to adjust and customize their golf clubs. Someattempts include adjustable weight systems, adjustable loft or lieangles, means to attenuate sound, means to dampen or deflect vibrationto improve feel of the club, interchangeable inserts or panels (e.g.,face inserts, crowns, portions of the skirt, etc.), each of which allowssome form of customization for an individual golfer's playing needs.However, current club designs providing customization capabilities,particularly club systems that allow interchangeability of components,may be difficult to use and assemble.

Club designers and manufacturers often look for new ways to customizegolf clubs. For instance, club designers are often looking to distributeweight to provide more forgiveness in a club head, improved accuracy,better spin control, or to provide a particular golf ball trajectory andthe like. Various approaches have been implemented for redistributingmass about a golf club head.

Some club designers offer a multi-component club construction, in whichone or more portions of the club head may be interchangeable (e.g.,separable and recoupable) so as to redistribute weight to provide anassociated playing characteristic. Some golf club heads are designed toaccept interchangeable components that form portions of the club headbody. For example, some club heads are designed to acceptinterchangeable face inserts, damping inserts, crown panels, solepanels, skirt panels, and the like. A multi-component construction mayprovide a golfer with the ability to interchange one or more componentsto achieve a desired playing characteristic.

Similarly, in order to achieve significant localized mass, weightsformed of high-density materials have been attached to the sole, skirt,and other parts of a club head. With these types of weights, the methodof installation is critical because the club head endures significantloads at impact with a golf ball, which can dislodge the weight. In someexamples, individual weights are secured to the club head by way offasteners (e.g., screws, bolts, etc.). For example, U.S. Publication2013/0303304 to Sato shows a golf club head having a number of threadedports in the sole into which weighted elements may be screwed. U.S. Pat.No. 8,684,863 to Bezilla et al. shows a golf club head having a weightmount point defined on a perimeter of the sole to which a weight memberis secured via a fastener.

Although current club head designs allow a golfer to customize the clubhead to their individual preference, these club head designs havedrawbacks. For example, the process of changing (removing and attaching)individual components to the club head can be very cumbersome and a timeconsuming process. For example, in the instance of changing a removableweight, current removable weight designs generally require a golfer tohandle three separate items, including: (1) the club head; (2) theweight to be attached to or removed from the club head; and (3) the toolfor engaging the weight and aiding in its attachment or removal. Thehandling of multiple items can be awkward, as the golf club head must beheld steady with one hand while the golfer simultaneously handles theseparate weight and tool in the other hand, which may present aparticularly frustrating experience for the golfer and may result inweights being lost or misplaced. The same issues may be present whenadding or removing separate club head components (e.g., face inserts,damping inserts, crown panels, skirt panels, etc.).

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a mechanism configured to improve theprocess of attaching or removing the component to or from a golf clubhead. More specifically, the present invention provides a mechanism toaid in the attachment or removal of a component to or from a golf clubhead. As will be described in greater detail herein, the mechanism mayinclude, but is not limited to, a ball and socket assembly, threadedfastener assembly, tongue and groove assembly, or other releasablecoupling means (e.g., magnetic assembly, pins, snaps, staples, etc.) forreleasably coupling a releasable component to a golf club head. Thereleasable component may include, but not limited to, a face insert,damping insert, discrete weight insert, crown panel, sole panel, heel ortoe panel, skirt panel, and the like that may be interchangeable so asto provide customization of the golf club to suit the player's needs orplaying characteristics.

In certain aspects, the releasable component includes a component bodyhaving a distal end to be coupled to a golf club head and a proximal endhaving a tool interface configured to releasably engage a portion of atool so as to improve the process of attaching or removing thereleasable component to or from the golf club head. In particular, thecomponent body is configured to be releasably coupled to the tool by adetent ball and spring assembly configured to provide a friction fitbetween the tool interface of the proximal end and a shank portion ofthe tool. In some embodiments, the tool interface is a socket configuredto receive the shank portion of the tool within, such that, uponinsertion of the shank portion into the socket, the detent ball andspring assembly is configured to releasably couple the tool to thereleasable component, thereby aiding in the process of changingcomponents on the club head.

In one embodiment, the detent ball and spring assembly is includedwithin the socket of the releasable component. In other embodiments, thedetent ball and spring assembly is included on the shank portion of thetool. In either embodiment, upon insertion of the shank portion into thesocket, the detent ball is configured to provide a friction fit betweenthe releasable component and the tool, thereby releasably coupling thecomponent to the tool to allow improved handling of multiple parts whenchanging out components on the club head. Accordingly, the presentinvention provides a golfer with an improved process of attaching orremoving a component to or from a golf club head. In particular, thefriction fit provided by the detent ball and spring assembly preventspremature disengagement of the releasable component from the tool,thereby allowing a golfer to easily maneuver the releasable componentand tool as a single piece when attempting to add, remove, or adjustcomponent placement. This may be particularly useful when attempting tochange components in relatively difficult to reach areas of the clubhead, such as portions within the interior of the club head. Thus, agolfer need only handle the club head and the tool when attaching orremoving components.

For example, in the event that the golfer is attaching a weight memberto the golf club head, the golfer need only load the weight member ontothe shaft portion of the tool and then maneuver the tool so as to alignwith weight member with a desired weight mount point on the golf clubhead. The friction fit between the weight member and tool prevents theweight member from prematurely disengaging from the tool until theweight member is attached to the weight mount point of the golf clubhead. Accordingly, during movement of the tool and subsequent alignmentof the weight member, the weight member remains attached to the tool,thereby preventing the opportunity for a lost or misplaced weightmember. Upon attachment of the weight member (e.g., via threadedengagement), the golfer may simply remove the shank portion of the toolfrom the socket of the weight member, which results in disengagement ofthe detent ball with the shank portion or the interior surface of therecess, depending on the placement of the detent ball and springassembly. Similarly, in the event that the golfer is removing the weightmember from golf club head, the golfer need only insert the shankportion of the tool into the socket, thereby resulting in a frictionfit. Upon detachment of the weight member from the golf club head (e.g.,loosening the threaded engagement), the weight member remains coupled tothe tool (via friction fit) until the user removes the shank portion ofthe tool from the socket of the weight member, which results indisengagement between the detent ball and the shank portion or interiorsurface of the recess, depending on the placement of the detent ball andspring assembly.

In certain aspects, the invention provides a releasable component for agolf club head. The releasable component includes a component bodyhaving a distal end configured to be coupled to a golf club head and aproximal end having a tool interface configured to receive a shankportion of a tool. The component body is configured to be releasablycoupled to the tool by a detent ball and spring assembly configured toprovide a friction fit between the tool interface of the proximal endand the shank portion of the tool.

In some embodiments, the detent ball and spring assembly includes aspring and detent ball positioned within an aperture formed on the shankportion of the tool, wherein the spring is configured to apply a biasingforce against the detent ball such that a portion of the detent ballextends out of an opening of the aperture and along an outer surface ofthe shank portion of the tool. Upon engagement between the shank portionof the tool and the tool interface of the releasable component, thedetent ball is configured to deflect in a direction towards the springupon contact between the detent ball and a surface of the toolinterface. The detent ball is configured to maintain contact and providea friction fit with the surface of the tool interface based on thebiasing force applied to the detent ball from the spring, therebyreleasably coupling the tool to the releasable component.

In other embodiments, the tool interface of the proximal end of thecomponent body includes a recess configured to receive the shank portionof the tool within, wherein the detent ball and spring assembly includesa spring and detent ball positioned within an aperture extending from aninterior surface of the recess. The spring is configured to apply abiasing force against the detent ball such that a portion of the detentball extends out of an opening of the aperture and into an interior ofthe recess. Upon insertion of the shank portion of the tool into theinterior of the recess, the detent ball is configured to deflect in adirection away from the shank portion and towards the spring uponcontact between the detent ball and an outer surface of the shankportion. The detent ball is configured to maintain contact and provide afriction fit with the outer surface of the shank portion based on thebiasing force applied to the detent ball from the spring, therebyreleasably coupling the tool to the releasable component.

In some embodiments, the recess extends entirely through the componentbody from the proximal end to the distal end, such that the shankportion of the tool is configured to extend entirely through thecomponent body and further extend into a recess of at least anadditional releasable component, such that the releasable component andadditional releasable component are in stacked configuration along theshank portion of the tool.

The releasable component may be selected from a group consisting of aface insert, a damping insert, a weight member, a crown panel, a solepanel, a heel panel, a toe panel, a skirt panel, and a combination of atleast two thereof.

In other aspects, the invention provides a releasable component for agolf club head. The releasable component includes a component bodyconfigured to be releasably coupled to a golf club head by way of adetent ball and spring assembly. The detent ball and spring assemblyconfigured to provide a friction fit between an attachment feature ofthe component body and an associated attachment feature of the golf clubhead.

In some embodiments, the attachment feature of the component bodyincludes at least one protrusion extending from the component body andthe attachment feature of the golf club head includes at least onerecess for receiving the at least one protrusion within. However, itshould be noted that, in other embodiments, the attachment feature ofthe component body may include a recess and the attachment feature ofthe golf club head may include a protrusion.

In one embodiment, the detent ball and spring assembly includes a springand detent ball positioned within an aperture formed along a portion ofthe protrusion, wherein the spring is configured to apply a biasingforce against the detent ball such that a portion of the detent ballextends out of an opening of the aperture and along an outer surface ofthe protrusion. Upon insertion of the protrusion of the component bodyinto the recess of the golf club head, the detent ball is configured todeflect in a direction away from an interior surface of the recess andtowards the spring upon contact between the detent ball and the interiorsurface of the recess. The detent ball is configured to maintain contactand provide a friction fit with the interior surface of the recess basedon the biasing force applied to the detent ball from the spring.

In another embodiment, the detent ball and spring assembly includes aspring and detent ball positioned within an aperture extending from aninterior surface of the recess, wherein the spring is configured toapply a biasing force against the detent ball such that a portion of thedetent ball extends out of an opening of the aperture and into aninterior of the recess. Upon insertion of the protrusion of thecomponent body into the interior of the recess, the detent ball isconfigured to deflect in a direction away from the protrusion andtowards the spring upon contact between the detent ball and an outersurface of the protrusion. The detent ball is configured to maintaincontact and provide a friction fit with the outer surface of theprotrusion based on the biasing force applied to the detent ball fromthe spring.

In other aspects, the invention provides a golf club head including aclub head body, a releasable component configured to be releasablycoupled to the club head body, a detent ball and spring assemblyconfigured to provide a friction fit between an attachment feature ofthe releasable component and a corresponding attachment feature of theclub head body. One of the attachment features includes a protrusion andthe other attachment feature includes a recess for receiving theprotrusion within.

In some embodiments, the detent ball and spring assembly includes aspring and detent ball positioned within an aperture formed along aportion of the protrusion, wherein the spring is configured to apply abiasing force against the detent ball such that a portion of the detentball extends out of an opening of the aperture and along an outersurface of the protrusion. Upon insertion of the protrusion into aninterior of the recess, the detent ball is configured to deflect in adirection away from an interior surface of the recess and towards thespring upon contact between the ball and the interior surface of therecess. The detent ball is configured to maintain contact and provide afriction fit with the interior surface of the recess based on thebiasing force applied to the detent ball from the spring, therebyreleasably coupling the releasable component to the club head body.

In another embodiment, the detent ball and spring assembly includes aspring and detent ball positioned within an aperture extending from aninterior surface of the recess, wherein the spring is configured toapply a biasing force against the detent ball such that a portion of thedetent ball extends out of an opening of the aperture and into aninterior of the recess. Upon insertion of the protrusion into theinterior of the recess, the detent ball is configured to deflect in adirection away from the protrusion and towards the spring upon contactbetween the detent ball and an outer surface of the protrusion. Thedetent ball is configured to maintain contact and provide a friction fitwith the outer surface of the protrusion based on the biasing forceapplied to the detent ball from the spring, thereby releasably couplingthe releasable component to the club head body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a wood-type golf club including anembodiment of a club head consistent with the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the golf club head of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the golf club head of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the golf club head of FIG. 1illustrating a removable crown panel and an embodiment of a specialtytool for releasably coupling to the crown panel for subsequentattachment or removal of the crown panel to or from the golf club head.

FIG. 5A is a side view, partly in section, of the crown panel andspecialty tool of FIG. 4 illustrating the detent ball and springassembly included within the tool interface of the crown panel.

FIG. 5B is a side view, partly in section, of the interaction betweenthe shank portion of the specialty tool and the detent ball and springassembly of the tool interface of the crown panel.

FIG. 6A is a side view, partly in section, of the crown panel andspecialty tool of FIG. 4 illustrating the detent ball and springassembly included on the shank portion of the specialty tool.

FIG. 6B is a side view, partly in section, of the interaction betweenthe detent ball and spring assembly on the shank portion and the toolinterface of the crown panel.

FIG. 7A shows a crown panel releasably coupled to the shank portion ofthe tool by way of a friction fit provided by the detent ball and springsystem and subsequent alignment of the crown panel with a correspondingmounting section on the golf club head for subsequent attachmentthereto.

FIG. 7B shows disengagement of the shank portion from the crown panelupon attachment of the crown panel to the golf club head.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a putter-type golf club head and aseparate component configured to be releasably coupled to theputter-type golf club head by way of detent ball and spring assemblies.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the golf club head of FIG. 8illustrating the separate component releasably coupled to the club head.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a weight memberconsistent with the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the weight member of FIG. 10illustrating the detent ball and spring assembly in greater detail.

FIG. 12 is a top view of the weight member of FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is an exploded side view, partly in section, of the weightmember of FIG. 10 illustrating the detent ball and spring assembly ingreater detail.

FIG. 14 is a side view, partly in section, of the weight member of FIG.10 illustrating the detent ball and spring assembly in an assembledconfiguration.

FIG. 15 shows an embodiment of a specialty tool for attaching orremoving the weight member of FIG. 10 to a golf club head.

FIGS. 16A and 16B are side views, partly in section, of the weightmember of FIG. 1 illustrating interaction between the shank portion ofthe specialty tool and the tool interface of the weight member and thedetent ball and spring assembly.

FIG. 17 is a bottom view of the golf club head of FIG. 1 illustrating aplurality of weight mount points on the sole of the club head forreceiving and retaining a weight member consistent with the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 18 is a top view of the golf club head of FIG. 1 illustrating aplurality of weight mount points positioned on an internal surfacewithin the interior cavity of the club head for receiving and retaininga weight member consistent with the present disclosure.

FIG. 19A shows a weight member releasably coupled to the shank portionof the tool by way of a friction fit provided by the detent ball andspring system and alignment of the weight member with a weight mountpoint for subsequent attachment thereto.

FIG. 19B shows disengagement of the shank portion from the weight memberupon attachment of the weight member to the weight mount point.

FIG. 20 is a side view, partly in section, of another embodiment of aweight member consistent with the present disclosure illustrating a toolinterface extending entirely through the body of the weight member.

FIG. 21 is a side view, partly in section, of the weight member of FIG.20 illustrating interaction between the shank portion of the specialtytool and the tool interface of the weight member and the shank portionextending entirely through the weight member.

FIG. 22 shows a specialty tool having a plurality of weight membersconsistent with the embodiment of FIG. 20 arranged in a stackedconfiguration along the shank portion of the tool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

By way of overview, the present invention is generally directed toreleasable components for use with golf club heads. The presentinvention provides a mechanism configured to improve the process ofattaching or removing the component to or from a golf club head. Morespecifically, the present invention provides a mechanism to aid in theattachment or removal of a component to or from a golf club head. Aswill be described in greater detail herein, the mechanism may include,but is not limited to, a ball and socket assembly, threaded fastenerassembly, tongue and groove assembly, or other releasable coupling means(e.g., magnetic assembly, pins, snaps, staples, etc.) for releasablycoupling a releasable component to a golf club head. The releasablecomponent may include, but not limited to, a face insert, dampinginsert, discrete weight insert, crown panel, sole panel, heel or toepanel, skirt panel, and the like that may be interchangeable so as toprovide customization of the golf club to suit the player's needs orplaying characteristics.

In certain aspects, the releasable mechanism is included on a releasablecomponent, such that a component body has a distal end to be coupled toa golf club head and a proximal end having a tool interface configuredto releasably engage a portion of a tool so as to improve the process ofattaching or removing the releasable component to or from the golf clubhead. In one embodiment, the component body is configured to bereleasably coupled to the tool by a detent ball and spring assemblyconfigured to provide a friction fit between the tool interface of theproximal end and a shank portion of the tool. In some embodiments, thetool interface is a socket configured to receive the shank portion ofthe tool within, such that, upon insertion of the shank portion into thesocket, the detent ball and spring assembly is configured to releasablycouple the tool to the releasable component, thereby aiding in theprocess of changing components on the club head.

In one embodiment, the detent ball and spring assembly is includedwithin the socket of the releasable component. In other embodiments, thedetent ball and spring assembly is included on the shank portion of thetool. In either embodiment, upon insertion of the shank portion into thesocket, the detent ball is configured to provide a friction fit betweenthe releasable component and the tool, thereby releasably coupling thecomponent to the tool to allow improved handling of multiple parts whenchanging out components on the club head. Accordingly, the presentinvention provides a golfer with an improved process of attaching orremoving a component to or from a golf club head. In particular, thefriction fit provided by the detent ball and spring assembly preventspremature disengagement of the releasable component from the tool,thereby allowing a golfer to easily maneuver the releasable componentand tool as a single piece when attempting to add, remove, or adjustcomponent placement. This may be particularly useful when attempting tochange components in relatively difficult to reach areas of the clubhead, such as portions within the interior of the club head. Thus, agolfer need only handle the club head and the tool when attaching orremoving components.

For example, in the event that the golfer is attaching a weight memberto the golf club head, the golfer need only load the weight member ontothe shaft portion of the tool and then maneuver the tool so as to alignwith weight member with a desired weight mount point on the golf clubhead. The friction fit between the weight member and tool prevents theweight member from prematurely disengaging from the tool until theweight member is attached to the weight mount point of the golf clubhead. Accordingly, during movement of the tool and subsequent alignmentof the weight member, the weight member remains attached to the tool,thereby preventing the opportunity for a lost or misplaced weightmember. Upon attachment of the weight member (e.g., via threadedengagement), the golfer may simply remove the shank portion of the toolfrom the socket of the weight member, which results in disengagement ofthe detent ball with the shank portion or the interior surface of therecess, depending on the placement of the detent ball and springassembly. Similarly, in the event that the golfer is removing the weightmember from golf club head, the golfer need only insert the shankportion of the tool into the socket, thereby resulting in a frictionfit. Upon detachment of the weight member from the golf club head (e.g.,loosening the threaded engagement), the weight member remains coupled tothe tool (via friction fit) until the user removes the shank portion ofthe tool from the socket of the weight member, which results indisengagement between the detent ball and the shank portion or interiorsurface of the recess, depending on the placement of the detent ball andspring assembly.

Although described throughout as a ball and spring assembly forproviding a friction fit, it should be noted that the mechanism forproviding a releasable coupling may include other types of assemblies.For example, in one embodiment, a magnetic fastening assembly havingmale and female fastener elements is configured to engage insertattachments, access panels, or other components to the golf club head.Placement of magnetic materials, such as Ferrites, Alnico, SamariumCobalt, Neodymium, or bonded magnets, and magnetization types, such asaxial, lateral, multipole, radial, or diametral on components and thetool allow for removal or attachment.

Referring to the figures and following description, golf clubs and golfclub heads in accordance with the present invention are described. Thegolf club and club head structures described herein may be described interms of wood-type golf clubs. However, the present invention is notlimited to the precise embodiments disclosed herein but applies to golfclubs generally, including hybrid clubs, iron-type golf clubs,utility-type golf clubs, and the like.

Examples of golf club and golf club head structures in accordance withthis invention may relate to “wood-type” golf clubs and hollow golf clubheads, e.g., clubs and club heads typically used for drivers and fairwaywoods, as well as for “wood-type” utility or hybrid clubs, or the like.Although these club head structures may have little or no actual “wood”material, they still may be referred to conventionally in the art as“woods” (e.g., “metal woods,” “fairway woods,” etc.).

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a wood-type golf club 100 including anembodiment of a club head consistent with the present disclosure. Asshown, the wood-type golf club 100 may include a wood-type golf clubhead 102 in accordance with the present disclosure. In addition to thegolf club head 102, the overall golf club structure 100 may include ashaft 104 and a grip or handle 108 attached to one end of the shaft 102.The shaft 104 may be received in, engaged with, and/or attached to thegolf club head 102 in any suitable or desired manner, including inconventional manners known and used in the art, without departing fromthe disclosure. As described in greater detail herein, the shaft 104 maybe engaged with the golf club head 102 through a shaft-receiving sleeveor element extending into the club head 102 (e.g., a hosel 106), and/ordirectly to the club head structure 102. The shaft 104 may be made fromany suitable or desired materials, including conventional materialsknown and used in the art, such as graphite based materials, compositeor other non-metal materials, steel materials (including stainlesssteel), aluminum materials, other metal alloy materials, polymericmaterials, combinations of various materials, and the like.

The grip or handle 108 may be attached to, engaged with, and/or extendfrom the shaft 104 in any suitable or desired manner, including inconventional manners known and used in the art, e.g., using adhesives orcements, etc. As another example, if desired, the grip or handle 108 maybe integrally formed as a unitary, one-piece construction with the shaft104. Additionally, any desired grip or handle materials may be usedwithout departing from this disclosure, including, but not limited to,rubber materials, leather materials, other materials including cord orother fabric material embedded therein, polymeric materials, and thelike.

Further, according to aspects of the disclosure, the golf club 100 mayinclude a hosel 106. The shaft 104 may be received in and/or insertedinto and/or through the hosel 106. The hosel 106 may be configured suchthat the shaft 104 may be engaged with the hosel 106 in a releasablemanner using mechanical connectors to allow easy interchange of oneshaft for another on the head. For example, threads, locking mechanisms,etc. may be incorporated into the hosel 106 and the end of the shaft 104that is to be engaged with the hosel 106 may be configured with acorresponding configuration. In some embodiments, the shaft 104 may besecured to the hosel 106 via bonding with adhesives or cements, welding(e.g., laser welding), soldering, brazing, or other fusing techniques,etc. In some embodiments, the hosel 106 may be eliminated and the shaft104 may be directly attached to the golf club head 102. For example, theshaft 104 may be directly engaged with the golf club head 102 (e.g., bybonding with adhesives or cements, welding (e.g., laser welding),soldering, brazing, or other fusing techniques, etc.).

FIGS. 2 and 3 are front and top views of a golf club head 102 accordingto some embodiments of the present invention. As shown, the golf clubhead 102 has a club head body 108 having a hosel 106, a front portion110, a rear portion 111, a heel 112, a toe 114, a crown 116, a sole 118,and a ball-striking face 120.

As generally understood, a wide variety of overall club headconstructions are possible without departing from this invention. Forexample, if desired, some or all of the various individual parts of theclub head 102 described above may be made from multiple pieces that areconnected together (e.g., by welding, adhesives, or other fusingtechniques; by mechanical connectors; etc.). The various parts (e.g.,heel, toe, crown, sole, ball-striking face, portions of the body, etc.)may be made from any desired materials and combinations of differentmaterials, including materials that are conventionally known and used inthe art, such as metal materials, including lightweight metal materials.More specific examples of suitable lightweight metal materials includesteel, titanium and titanium alloys, aluminum and aluminum alloys,magnesium and magnesium alloys, etc.

As additional examples or alternatives, in order to reduce the club head102 weight, one or more portions of the club head structure 102advantageously may be made from a composite material, such as fromcarbon fiber composite materials that are conventionally known and usedin the art. Other suitable composite or other non-metal materials thatmay be used for one or more portions of the club head structure 102include, for example: fiberglass composite materials, basalt fibercomposite materials, polymer materials, etc. As described in greaterdetail herein, at least some portion(s) of the body 108 may be made fromcomposite or other non-metal materials. As yet further examples, theentire body 108 of the club head 102 may be made from composite or othernon-metal materials without departing from this invention. The compositeor other non-metal material(s) may be incorporated as part of the clubhead structure 102 in any desired manner, including in conventionalmanners that are known and used in the art.

Reducing the club head's weight (e.g., through the use of composite orother non-metal materials, lightweight metals, metallic foam or othercellular structured materials, etc.) allows club designers and/or clubfitters to selectively position additional weight in the overall clubhead structure 102, e.g., to desirable locations to increase the momentof inertia, affect the center of gravity location, and/or affect otherplayability characteristics of the club head structure 102 (e.g., todraw or fade bias a club head; to help get shots airborne by providing alow center of gravity; to help produce a lower, more boring ball flight;to help correct or compensate for swing flaws that produce undesiredball flights, such as hooks or slices, ballooning shots, etc.).

The various individual parts that make up a club head structure 102, ifmade from multiple pieces, may be engaged with one another and/or heldtogether in any suitable or desired manner, including in conventionalmanners known and used in the art. For example, a separate ball-strikingplate insert 122 may be joined to the ball-striking face 120 and aseparate crown panel insert 124 may be joined to the club head body 108(directly or indirectly through intermediate members) by adhesives,cements, welding, soldering, or other bonding or finishing techniques,and the like.

In some arrangements, the various parts of the club head 102 may bejoined by mechanical connectors (such as threads, screws, nuts, bolts,or other connectors), and the like. In some embodiments, the matingedges of various parts of the club head structure 102 (e.g., the edgeswhere heel, toe, crown, sole, ball-striking face, and/or other parts ofthe body contact and join to one another) may include one or more raisedribs, tabs, ledges, or other engagement elements that fit into or ontocorresponding grooves, slots, surfaces, ledges, openings, or otherstructures provided in or on the facing side edge to which it is joined.Cements, adhesives, mechanical connectors, finishing material, or thelike may be used in combination with the raised rib/groove/ledge/edge orother connecting structures described above to further help secure thevarious parts of the club head structure 102 together. Examples of golfclub heads having a multi-component construction and various means andmethods of coupling components to the club head are discussed Golf ClubHead with Multi-Component Construction, U.S. Publication 2013/0178305,the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

As previously described herein, the present invention provides areleasable component including an attachment feature configured toimprove the process of attaching or removing the component to or from agolf club head. The releasable component may include, but is not limitedto, a face insert, damping insert, discrete weight insert, crown panel,sole panel, heel or toe panel, skirt panel, and the like that may beinterchangeable so as to provide customization of the golf club to suitthe player's needs or playing characteristics.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the golf club head 102 illustrating aremovable crown panel 124 and an embodiment of a specialty tool 10 forreleasably coupling to the crown panel 124 for subsequent attachment orremoval of the crown panel 124 to or from the golf club head 102. Itshould be noted that the releasable component can include any type ofcomponent for the club head, as described herein, and not be limited tothe crown panel 124 shown and described.

As shown, the specialty tool 10 may generally resemble a wrench having agrip 12, a shank 14, a distal end 16 of the shank 12, and a housing 18which may include additional components to aid in the attachment orremoval of the crown panel 124 to the club head 102. For example, in oneembodiment, a torque-limiting mechanism (not shown) may be includedwithin the housing 18 and configured to prevent over-tightening of angiven component during attachment to the club head 102 (e.g., acomponent that is attached to the club head 102 via rotating fastener,such as threaded engagement). In use, once the torque limit is met, thetorque-limiting mechanism of the exemplary embodiment will cause thegrip 12 to rotationally disengage from the shank 14. In this manner, thetorque wrench 10 inhibits excessive torque on a component beingtightened. The wrench 12 may be limited to the conventional amount oftorque as generally understood by one skilled in the art. Furthermore,the torque-limiting mechanism may be configured to create an audibleindication to the golfer of when the predetermined torque is applied. Itshould be noted that specialty tools having various other types oftorque-limiting mechanisms, or even without such mechanisms, can beused.

As shown, the shank 14 terminates in a distal end 16 configured tooperatively mate with a corresponding portion of the crown panel 124.For example, as shown, the crown panel 124 may generally include a body126 having a distal end 128 configured to be coupled to a correspondingmounting section 130 of the club head 102 and a proximal end 132 havinga tool interface 134 configured to receive the distal end 16 of theshank 14 of the tool 10. The distal end 16, in addition to the shank 14itself, may include a special shape in accordance with USGAadjustability requirements. For example, as shown, the shank 14 anddistal end 16 have an Allen key shape. It should be noted that the shank14 or distal end 16 may have other shapes, including, but not limitedto, a square, a rectangle, a triangle, a cross, a hexagon, and otherpolygonal shapes. Additionally, or alternatively, the distal end 16 mayhave a specialty tip, such as a Phillips tip, a torx bit, a tri-wing,torq-set, double-square, triple square, polydrive, spline drive, or thelike for engaging a portion of the tool interface 134 of the crown panel124.

The tool interface 134 may include any known shape for engaging thedistal end 16 of the shank 14. For example, the tool interface 134 mayinclude a recess (hereinafter referred to as “recess 134”) having ahexagonal shape corresponding to the Allen key shape of the shank 14 anddistal end 16. It should be noted, however, that the recess 134 may havea variety of different shapes and sizes corresponding to the shape ofthe distal end 16 and/or shank 14, including, but not limited to, asquare, a rectangle, a triangle, a cross, a hexagon, and other polygonalshapes. It should further be noted that the tool interface 134 need notbe limited to a recess for receiving the distal end 16 of the shank 14.Instead, in some embodiments, the tool interface 134 may include aprotrusion configured to be received within a recess formed on a distalend 16 of the shank 14. For ease of description, however, the toolinterface 134 is depicted as a recess for receiving the distal end 16 ofthe shank 14 within.

As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the tool interface 134 includes a detentball and spring assembly 136 configured to releasably couple the tool 10and the crown panel 124 to one another. More specifically, the detentball and spring assembly 136 is configured to releasably couple theshank 14 to the recess 134 on the proximal end 132 of the crown panel124, specifically providing a friction fit between an outer surface ofthe shank 14 and a portion of the detent ball and spring assembly 136when the distal end 16 of the shank 14 is inserted into the recess 134.Accordingly, the crown panel 124 will remain affixed to the tool 10,thereby allowing a golfer to hold the golf club head 102 with one headand the tool 10 (having the crown panel 124 attached thereto) with theother hand so as to improve the process of attaching the crown panel 124to the club head 102.

FIG. 5A is a side view, partly in section, of the crown panel 124 andthe shank 14 of the specialty tool 10 illustrating the detent ball andspring assembly 136 included within the recess 134 of the crown panel124. As shown, the detent ball and spring assembly 136 includes a springmember 138, a detent ball 140 (e.g., ball bearing), and a set screw 142arranged within a portion of the recess 134. The assembly 136 isarranged such that the spring member 138 is configured to apply abiasing force upon the detent ball 140 in a direction towards aninterior 144 of the recess 134, such that a portion of the detent ball140 extends into the interior 144 of the recess 134. For example, anaperture 146, or cylinder, may have an opening 148 along an innersurface 150 of the recess 134 and extend from the inner surface 150 awayfrom the interior 144 of the recess 134. The set screw 142, springmember 138, and detent ball 140 are positioned within the aperture 146such that the detent ball 140 is positioned at the opening 148 adjacentto the interior 144 of the recess 134, the set screw 142 is positionedat a point most distal from the opening 148, and the spring member 138is positioned between the detent ball 140 and the set screw 142. Itshould be noted that the opening 148 of the aperture 146 at the innersurface 150 may have a diameter slightly less than the diameter of thedetent ball 140 so as to prevent the detent ball 140 from completelypassing through the opening 148 and out of the aperture 146. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 5A, only a portion of the detent ball 140 isable to pass through the opening 148 of the aperture 146 and into theinterior 144 of the recess 134.

As generally understood, the detent ball 140 is configured to movewithin the aperture 146 between multiple positions relative to thelongitudinal axis of the aperture 146. For example, in a defaultposition (e.g., when the recess 134 is devoid of any tool insertion, asshown in FIG. 5A) the detent ball 140 is forced into contact with theopening 148 of the aperture 146 such that a portion of the detent ball140 passes through the opening 148 and into the interior 144 of therecess 134. In the event that additional force is applied to the detentball 140 from the interior 144 of the recess 134 (e.g., upon insertionof a portion of the tool into the recess 134), the additional force maybe sufficient in overcoming the biasing force of the spring member 138,thereby resulting in the detent ball 140 moving in a direction away fromthe opening 148 and towards the spring member 138, resulting in furthercompression of the spring member 138 and increasing biasing forceexerted upon the detent ball 140 in a direction towards the opening 148and interior 144 of the recess 134. Accordingly, the detent ball 140 isconfigured to maintain contact with an object (e.g., portion of tool)received within the recess 134 and provide a friction fit thereto basedon the constant biasing force provided by the spring member 138.

It is to be understood that a portion of the aperture 146 may beinternally threaded so as to correspondingly engage an externallythreaded portion of the set screw 142. Although not shown, the set screw142 may be retained within the aperture 146 by way of threadedengagement. Furthermore, the amount of biasing force applied to thedetent ball 140 from the spring member 138 may be adjusted by adjustmentof the set screw 142 (e.g., increase biasing force by tightening setscrew 142 in direction towards interior 144 of recess 134 or decreasebiasing force by loosening set screw 142 in direction away from interior144 of recess 134).

FIG. 5B is a side view, partly in section, of the interaction betweenthe shank 14 of the specialty tool 10 and the detent ball and springassembly 136 of the recess 134 of the crown panel 124. To releasablycouple the tool 10 to the crown panel 124, a golfer need only insert thedistal end 16 of the shank 14 of the tool 10 into the recess 134, asindicated by arrow 152. Upon insertion of the shank 14 into the recess134, the shank 14 makes contact with the detent ball 140, as indicatedby arrow 154, and provides additional force to the detent ball 140sufficient to overcome the initial biasing force from the spring member138, resulting in movement of the detent ball 140 in a direction towardsthe spring member 138, as indicated by arrow 156. Accordingly, movementof the detent ball 140 results in further compression of the springmember 138 and subsequently increases biasing force exerted upon thedetent ball 140 in a direction towards the shank 14, as indicated byarrow 158. Accordingly, the detent ball 140 is configured to maintaincontact and provide a friction fit with the shank 14, resulting in thecrown panel 124 being releasably coupled to the shank 14 of the tool 10.

In another embodiment, the detent ball and spring assembly 136 may beincluded on the shank 14 of the tool 10, as opposed to the recess 134 ofthe crown panel 124. For example, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, thespring 138, detent ball 140, and set screw 142 may be positioned withinan aperture formed on a portion of the shank 14, in a similararrangement as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B regarding the recess 134.Accordingly, in a default position (e.g, when the shank 14 is not withinthe recess 134, as shown in FIG. 6A) a portion of the detent ball 140 isexposed along an outer surface of the shank 14. FIG. 6B is a side view,partly in section, of the interaction between the detent ball and springassembly 136 of the shank 14 and the recess 134 of the crown panel 124.To releasably couple the tool 10 to the crown panel 124, a golfer needonly insert the distal end 16 of the shank 14 into the recess 134, asindicated by arrow 152. Upon insertion of the shank 14 into the recess134, the detent ball 140 makes contact with the inner surface 150 of therecess 134, as indicated by arrow 160, thereby resulting in furthercompression of the spring member 138 and increasing biasing forceexerted upon the detent ball 140 in a direction towards the innersurface 150 of the recess 134. Accordingly, the detent ball 140 isconfigured to maintain contact with the inner surface 150 of the recess134 and provide a friction fit thereto based on the constant biasingforce provided by the spring member 138.

The friction fit provided by the detent ball and spring assembly 136prevents premature disengagement of the crown panel 124 from the tool10, thereby allowing a golfer to easily maneuver the crown panel 124 andtool 10 as a single piece when attempting to add or remove components,such as the crown panel 124, to or from a golf club head 102.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7A, the crown panel 124 is releasablycoupled to the tool 10 by way of the friction fit provided by the detentball and spring assembly between the shank 14 and the recess 134. Thus,a golfer need only handle the club head 102 and the tool 10 whenattaching or removing the crown panel 124 (or other components) to theclub head 102, thereby improving the handling of the crown panel duringthe attachment process.

For example, in the event that an adhesive is used to couple the distalend 128 of the crown panel 124 to the corresponding mounting section 130of the club head 102, the process of attaching the panel 124 may be aparticularly messy process, as the adhesive may come into contact with aperson's hands. Accordingly, the present invention allows a user tosimply handle the tool 10 (having the crown panel 124 releasably coupledthereto) when maneuvering and aligning the crown panel 124 intoengagement with the mounting section 130, thereby preventing the risk ofunwanted contact with an adhesive. As shown in FIG. 7B, upon attachmentof the crown panel 124 to the mounting section 130, a golfer maydisengage the tool 10 from the crown panel 124 simply by removing theshank 14 from the recess 134, as indicated by arrow 162. Removal of theshank 14 from the interior 144 of the recess 134, and thus removal ofthe additional force upon the detent ball 140, subsequently causes inthe detent ball 140 to return to the default position

It should be noted that, although the previous description is focused onreleasable components configured to be releasably coupled to a tool byway of friction fit with a detent ball and spring assembly, the presentdisclosure further contemplates the use of the detent ball and springassembly for releasably coupling removable components to the body of aclub head. For example, FIGS. 8 and 9 show a putter-type golf club head200 and a removable component 220 configured to be releasably coupled tothe club head 200 by way of the detent ball and spring assemblypreviously described herein. It should be noted that a putter-type clubhead 200 is shown simply for the purposes of discussion and that otherclub head types and removable components are contemplated herein. Theremovable component 220 may include, but is not limited to, a componentfor adjusting mass distribution properties of the club head, a componentproviding vibrational damping capabilities, a component providingindicia or graphics, or a component for providing other characteristics.

As shown, the putter-type club head 200 includes a body 202 including atop line 204, a sole 206, a heel 206, and a toe 208. The club head 200further includes a face 210 disposed on a front portion of the body 202and a hosel 212 disposed adjacent to the heel 206 of the body 202. Aportion of the body 202 further defines a section 214 for receiving theremovable component 220. For example, an aft-section may form a femaleengagement portion 214 having a shape or size and having a contourconfigured to receive and correspondingly mate with the removablecomponent 220, serving as the male engagement portion. The body 202 ofthe club head 200 further includes one or more mount portions 216 a, 216b configured to receive corresponding portions of the removablecomponent 220. For example, the mount portions 216 a, 216 b may eachdefine a recess having a detent ball and spring assembly, similar to thearrangement of the detent ball and spring assembly 136 within the recess134 of the crown panel 124 previously described herein. The recesses mayeach be shaped or sized to receive corresponding protrusions 222 a, 222b formed on the removable component 220. Upon insertion of theprotrusions 222 a, 222 b into the corresponding bores of the mountportions 216 a, 216 b, the detent ball and spring assembly of each isconfigured to provide a friction fit with the protrusions 222 a, 222 bsimilar to the friction fit engagement between the detent ball andspring assembly 136 and the shank 14 previously described herein. Inorder to remove the component 220 from the club head 200, the golferneed only pull the component 220 and club head 200 away from each otherto disengage the friction fit.

In other embodiments, the detent ball and spring assembly may beincluded on the protrusions, in a similar fashion as shown in FIGS. 6Aand 6B regarding the shank 14 of the tool 10. Furthermore, it should benoted that the body 202 of the club head 200 may include protrusions andthe removable component 220 may include corresponding recesses forreceiving the protrusions therein.

As previously described herein, a releasable component consistent withthe present disclosure may include discrete weight members configured tobe attached or removed to or from a golf club head. FIG. 10 illustratesone embodiment of a weight member 300 that may be used with embodimentsof a golf club head of the present disclosure. As shown, the weightmember 300 includes a weight body 302 having a distal end 304 and aproximal end 306. The distal end 304 is configured to be coupled to agolf club head, as will be described in greater detail herein. Theproximal end 306 includes a tool interface 308 configured to cooperatewith a tool, such as a specialty tool with a custom tip, for attachingor removing the weight member 300 to a golf club head via the toolinterface 308. Accordingly, the tool interface 308 may include a shapedrecessed tool port, for example. As shown in the figures and describedherein, the tool interface 308 is a socket shaped or sized to receiveone or more working portions of a tool used for attaching or removingthe weight member. For ease of description, the tool interface will bereferred to hereinafter as “socket 308”.

The weight member 300 further includes a detent ball and spring assembly310 positioned on the proximal end 306 of the weight body 302. Thedetent ball and spring assembly 310 is configured to releasably couple aportion of the tool to the proximal end 306 of the weight body 302,specifically providing a friction fit between a portion of the detentball and spring assembly 310 and a portion of the tool when insertedinto the socket 308. Accordingly, the weight member 300 will remainaffixed to the tool, thereby allowing a golfer to hold the golf clubhead with one head and the tool (having the weight member attachedthereto) with the other hand so as to improve the process of attachingthe weight member to the club head.

The distal end 304 of the weight member 300 is configured to be coupledto the club head via one or more weight mount points provided on theclub head, as described in greater detail herein. For example, thedistal end 304 may include an external threading 312 formed on an outersurface thereof configured to engage an internally threaded portion ofthe club head (e.g., weight mount point), such that the weight member300 is attached to the club head. Attachment and removal of the weightmember 300 to a club head is described in greater detail herein.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the weight member 300 illustrating thedetent ball and spring assembly 310 in greater detail. FIG. 12 is a topview of the weight member 300, FIG. 13 is an exploded side view, partlyin section, of the weight member 300, and FIG. 14 is a side view, partlyin section, of the weight member 300 illustrated the detent ball andspring assembly in an assembled configuration. The detent ball andspring assembly 310 includes a spring member 314, a detent ball 316(e.g., ball bearing), and a set screw 318 arranged within a portion ofthe proximal end 306 of the weight body 302. The assembly is arrangedsuch that the spring member 314 is configured to apply a biasing forceupon the detent ball 316 in a direction towards an interior 319 of thesocket 308, such that a portion of the detent ball 316 extends into aninterior 319 of the socket 308.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the proximal end 306 of theweight body 302 includes an aperture 320, or cylinder, formed in theweight body 302 and extending between an inner surface 322 of the socket308 and an outer surface of the weight body 302. The set screw 318,spring member 314, and detent ball 316 are positioned within theaperture 320 such that the detent ball 316 is positioned adjacent to theinterior 319 of the socket 308, the set screw 318 is positioned adjacentto the outer surface of the weight body 302, and the spring member 314is positioned between the detent ball 316 and the set screw 318. Itshould be noted that the opening 321 of the aperture 320 at the innersurface 322 may have a diameter slightly less than the diameter of thedetent ball 316 so as to prevent the detent ball 316 from completelypassing through the opening and out of the aperture 320. For example, asshown in FIG. 12, only a portion of the detent ball 316 is able to passthrough the opening 321 of the aperture 320 and into the interior 319 ofthe socket 308.

As generally understood, the detent ball 316 is configured to movewithin the aperture 320 between multiple positions relative to thelongitudinal axis of the aperture 320. For example, in a defaultposition (e.g., when the socket 308 is devoid of any tool insertion) thedetent ball 316 is forced into contact with the opening 321 of theaperture 320 such that a portion of the detent ball 316 passes throughthe opening 321 and into the interior 319 of the socket 308. In theevent that additional force is applied to the detent ball 316 from theinterior 319 of the socket 308 (e.g., upon insertion of a portion of thetool into the socket 308), the additional force may be sufficient inovercoming the biasing force of the spring member 314, thereby resultingin the detent ball 316 moving in a direction away from the opening 321and towards the spring member 314, resulting in further compression ofthe spring member 314 and increasing biasing force exerted upon thedetent ball 316 in a direction towards the opening 321 and interior 319of the socket 308. Accordingly, the detent ball 316 is configured tomaintain contact with an object (e.g., portion of tool) received withinthe socket 308 and provide a friction fit thereto based on the constantbiasing force provided by the spring member 314.

It is to be understood that a portion of the aperture 320 may beinternally threaded so as to correspondingly engage an externallythreaded portion of the set screw 318. Although not shown, the set screw318 may be retained within the aperture 320 by way of threadedengagement. Furthermore, the amount of biasing force applied to thedetent ball 316 from the spring member 314 may be adjusted by adjustmentof the set screw 318 (e.g., increase biasing force by tightening setscrew 318 in direction towards interior 319 of socket 308 or decreasebiasing force by loosening set screw 318 in direction away from interior319 of socket 308).

The weight member 300 may be made of any suitable material of anydesired density, including metals, non-metallic materials, composites,ceramics, polymers, and the like. In some embodiments, the weight member300 may be formed of carbon steel, stainless steel, carbon fiber,tungsten, tungsten loaded polymer, combinations of one or more of thesematerials, and the like.

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the specialty tool 10 for attaching orremoving the weight member 300 to a golf club head. As previouslydescribed herein, the specialty tool 10 is may generally resemble awrench having a grip 12, a shank 14, a distal end 16 of the shank 14,and a housing 18 which may include additional components to aid in theattachment or removal of the weight member 300. For example, atorque-limiting mechanism (not shown) may be included within the housing18 and configured to prevent over-tightening of the weight member 300into corresponding weight mount points, described in greater detailherein. In use, once the torque limit is met, the torque-limitingmechanism of the exemplary embodiment will cause the grip 12 torotationally disengage from the shank 14. In this manner, the torquewrench 10 inhibits excessive torque on the weight member 300 beingtightened.

FIGS. 16A and 16B are side views, partly in section, of the weightmember 300 and the shank 14 of the tool 10, illustrating interactionbetween the shank 14 and the socket 308 and the detent ball and springassembly 310. As shown in FIG. 7A, the detent ball 316 is in the defaultposition. To releasably couple the weight member 300 to the tool 10, agolfer need only insert the shank 14 of the tool 10 into the socket 308,as indicated by arrow 44. As shown in FIG. 7B, upon insertion of theshank 14 into the socket 308, the shank 14 makes contact with the detentball 316, as indicated by arrow 326, and provides additional force tothe detent ball 316 sufficient to overcome the initial biasing forcefrom the spring member 314, resulting in movement of the detent ball 316in a direction towards the spring member 314, as indicated by arrow 328.Accordingly, movement of the detent ball 316 results in furthercompression of the spring member 314 and subsequently increases biasingforce exerted upon the detent ball 316 in a direction towards the shank14, as indicated by arrow 330. Accordingly, the detent ball 316 isconfigured to maintain contact and provide a friction fit with the shank14, resulting in the weight member 300 being releasably coupled to theshank 14.

The friction fit provided by the detent ball 316 and spring member 314prevents premature disengagement of the weight member 300 from the tool10, thereby allowing a golfer to easily maneuver the weight member 300and tool 10 as a single piece when attempting to add, remove, or adjustweight placement on a golf club head. Thus, a golfer need only handlethe club head and the tool when attaching or removing weights.Accordingly, the present invention provides a golfer with an improvedprocess of attaching or removing a weight to or from a golf club head.For example, by having the weight remain releasably attached to thetool, there is less chance of losing or misplacing individual weights,as is the case with some current designs.

One example of a way to improve performance of a golf club head, oraccuracy, distance, etc. of a shot, is by adjusting mass distributionproperties of the club head to one or more regions in order to adjust acenter of gravity, mass moment of inertia, and/or swingweight of theclub head. Accordingly, the weight members described herein may beattached to a golf club head at various positions so as to affect massproperties of the club head. FIGS. 1-3 show an embodiment of a wood-typegolf club 100 including an embodiment of a club head 102 consistent withthe present disclosure, upon which weight members of the presentdisclosure may be attached for adjusting mass distribution properties.

As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, for example, a golf club head 102consistent with the present disclosure may include one or more weightmount points 164 for receiving and retaining a weight member 300thereto. Accordingly, depending on the position of any given weightmount point 164, a weight member 300 attached thereto will provide adifferent effect with regard to mass properties of the club head. Eachweight mount point 164 generally includes an interface for receiving andretaining the distal end 304 of the weight member 300. For example, inone embodiment, the weight member 300 and weight mount points 164 may becoupled via a threaded engagement, wherein each weight mount point 164may include an internally threaded bore (shown in FIGS. 19A and 19B)configured to receive the externally threaded distal end 304 of theweight member 300. It should be noted that other types of engagement maybe used for attaching the weight member 300 to a weight mount point 164.

The weight mount points 164 may be positioned along various portions ofthe club head body 102. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, a plurality ofweight mount points 164 is positioned on the sole 118 of the club head102. In some embodiments, the club head 102 may be a hollow, wood-typegolf club head 102 (e.g., driver, fairway wood, or hybrid) and the clubhead body 102 defines an enclosed interior volume or cavity. Forexample, FIG. 18 is a top view, partly in section, of the golf club head102 illustrating a view into the interior cavity 166 of the club head102. As shown, a plurality of weight mount points 164 may be distributedalong an interior surface 168 in a predefined pattern or arrangement.For example, weight mount points 164 may be distributed in any suitablelocations within club head 102. In general, it may be preferable toinclude points 164 on an interior surface 168 of the sole 118 of clubhead 102 as golfers may find benefit in keeping a club head center ofgravity low.

The club head 102 may include any number of mount points 164, such as,for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10s, etc. In the depicted embodiment,club head 102 includes four mount points 164, one centered between theheel 112 and toe 114 and adjacent to the front 110, one centered betweenthe heel 112 and toe 114 and adjacent to the rear or aft 111, and oneadjacent the heel 112, and one adjacent to the toe 114 of the interiorsurface 168 of the sole 118. In some embodiments, club head 102 is madeto have a certain mass such that, when a certain number of removableweights 300 (e.g., one or two) are included, the overall mass of clubhead 102 is a desirable value. The specifics of weight placement withinthe interior of hollow-bodied golf club heads, as well as exemplaryweight mount points, are discussed in Golf Club Head with AccessibleInterior, U.S. Publication 2014/0228142, and Golf Club with AccessibleInterior, U.S. Publication 2014/0349777, the contents of each of whichare hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

FIGS. 19A and 19B illustrate the process of attaching a weight member300 to a desired weight mount point 164 on a golf club head 102. Asshown in FIG. 19A, a weight member 300 is already releasably coupled tothe shank 14 of the tool 10 by way of the friction fit provided by thedetent ball and spring assembly 310. The friction fit provided by thedetent ball 316 and spring member 314 prevents premature disengagementof the weight member 300 from the shank 14, particularly duringalignment of the weight member 300 with the desired weight mount point164, thus improving handling of the components during weight attachmentand decreasing risk of losing the weight member 300.

As shown, the weight mount point 164 is provided on the sole 118 of theclub head 102, such as the club head 102 shown in FIG. 17. The weightmount point 164 generally includes a recess 170 having internalthreading 172 configured to receive the external threading 312 on thedistal end 304 of the weight member 300. Upon aligning the weight member300 with the weight mount point 164, the golfer need only move theweight member 300 (via handling the tool 10) towards the weight mountpoint, as indicated by arrow 332, such that the distal end 304 of theweight member 300 is received within the recess 170. Upon rationalmovement of the grip 12 of the tool 10 and subsequent rotationalmovement of the shank 14, as indicated by arrow 334, the shank 14applies torque to the socket 308, thereby resulting in rotationalmovement of the weight member 300 and distal end 304 such that theexternal threading 312 of the distal end 304 is fastened to the internalthreading 172 of the weight mount point 164. Once the proper torque hasbeen applied, the torque-limiting mechanism may provide an audiblesignal to the golfer that the weight member 300 is adequately tightenedinto engagement with the weight mount point 164.

As shown in FIG. 19B, upon attachment of the weight member 300 to theweight mount point 164, a golfer may disengage the shank 14 from theweight member 300 simply by withdrawing the shank 14 from the socket308, as indicated by arrow 336. Removal of the shank 14 from theinterior 319 of the socket 308, and thus removal of the additional forceupon the detent ball 316, subsequently causes in the detent ball 316 toreturn to the default position.

It should be noted that upon removing a weight member 300 from a weightmount point 164, the golfer simply need to insert the shank 14 into thesocket 308, which thereby causes the friction fit engagement between thedetent ball 316 and the shank 14, and apply torque to loosen thethreaded engagement between the distal end 304 and the internal threads172 of the recess 170. Upon complete detachment of the weight member 300from the weight mount point 164, the friction fit between the shank 14of the tool 10 and detent ball 316 of the weight member 300 prevents theweight member 300 from simply falling out of the weight mount point 164once sufficiently loosened therefrom.

FIG. 20 is a side view, partly in section, of another embodiment of aweight member 300 a consistent with the present disclosure. As shown, insome embodiments, the socket 308 may extend entirely through the weightbody 302 from the distal end 304 to the proximal end 306. Accordingly,as shown in FIG. 21, the shank 14 of the tool 10 may extend completelythrough the weight member 300 a, as indicated by arrow 338, such thatthe distal end 16 of the shank 14 may be positioned past the distal end304 of the weight member 300 a.

The ability to pass the shank 14 entirely through a weight memberconsistent with the present disclosure has advantages. For example, asshown in FIG. 22, a plurality of weight members 300 a, 300 b, 300 n, atleast some of which having sockets 308 extending entirely therethrough,may be releasably coupled to the shank 14. By allowing multiple weightmembers to be loaded onto the shank 14 of the tool 10, the process ofattaching or removing multiple weights can be improved. For example, inthe event that multiple weights are to be attached, a golfer need onlyload the desired number of weights onto the shank 14, wherein eachweight member will be affixed to the shank 14 via its own friction fit.Accordingly, upon attachment of a first weight to the desired weightmount point, the golfer need only slide the next weight down the shank14 near the distal end 16 and then attach said weight to a desiredweight mount point, and so on until all loaded weights have beenattached. This is similarly the case when removing weights. A firstweight may be removed from engagement with a weight mount point, and thegolfer may then slide the first removed weight up the shank 14 to exposethe distal end 16 for subsequent engagement with an additional weight tobe removed, and so one. Accordingly, the golfer may be able to handlemultiple weight members at any given time, thereby improving the processof adding, removing, or changing weights.

Furthermore, by extending the length of the shank 14, a golfer may beable to further attach, remove, or adjust weights within an interiorcavity of a hollow-body golf club head, which may otherwise be adifficult task with current weight system designs. For example, onecould access an interior cavity via a sole port, for example, and alonger shank 14 would allow them to place weights in areas of theinterior that would otherwise be inaccessible with normal length tool.Examples of accessible interiors on golf club heads are discussed inGolf Club Head with Accessible Interior, U.S. Publication 2014/0228142,and Golf Club with Accessible Interior, U.S. Publication 2014/0349777,the contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference intheir entirety.

While several embodiments of the present disclosure have been describedand illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readilyenvision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing thefunctions and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of theadvantages described herein, and each of such variations and/ormodifications is deemed to be within the scope of the presentdisclosure. More generally, those skilled in the art will readilyappreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, andconfigurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that theactual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations willdepend upon the specific application or applications for which theteachings of the present disclosure is/are used.

Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain usingno more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specificembodiments of the disclosure described herein. It is, therefore, to beunderstood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way ofexample only and that, within the scope of the appended claims andequivalents thereto, the disclosure may be practiced otherwise than asspecifically described and claimed. The present disclosure is directedto each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/ormethod described herein. In addition, any combination of two or moresuch features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, ifsuch features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods arenot mutually inconsistent, is included within the scope of the presentdisclosure.

All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood tocontrol over dictionary definitions, definitions in documentsincorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the definedterms.

The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in thespecification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to thecontrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”

The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in theclaims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements soconjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some casesand disjunctively present in other cases. Other elements may optionallybe present other than the elements specifically identified by the“and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elementsspecifically identified, unless clearly indicated to the contrary.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “anembodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic described in connection with the embodiment is includedin at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in oneembodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout thisspecification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics maybe combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

The terms and expressions which have been employed herein are used asterms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention,in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalentsof the features shown and described (or portions thereof), and it isrecognized that various modifications are possible within the scope ofthe claims. Accordingly, the claims are intended to cover all suchequivalents.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

References and citations to other documents, such as patents, patentapplications, patent publications, journals, books, papers, webcontents, have been made throughout this disclosure. All such documentsare hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for allpurposes.

EQUIVALENTS

Various modifications of the invention and many further embodimentsthereof, in addition to those shown and described herein, will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from the full contents of thisdocument, including references to the scientific and patent literaturecited herein. The subject matter herein contains important information,exemplification and guidance that can be adapted to the practice of thisinvention in its various embodiments and equivalents thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A releasable component for a golf club head, thereleasable component comprising: a component body having a distal endconfigured to be coupled to a golf club head and a proximal end having atool interface configured to receive a shank portion of a tool; whereinthe component body is configured to be releasably coupled to the tool byway of interaction between the shank portion and the tool interface andfurther be coupled and decoupled to or from a golf club head with thetool.
 2. The releasable component of claim 1, wherein the component bodyis configured to be releasably coupled to the tool by a detent ball andspring assembly configured to provide a friction fit between the toolinterface of the proximal end of the component body and the shankportion of the tool.
 3. The releasable component of claim 2, wherein thedetent ball and spring assembly comprises a spring and detent ballpositioned within an aperture formed on the shank portion of the tool,wherein the spring is configured to apply a biasing force against thedetent ball such that a portion of the detent ball extends out of anopening of the aperture and along an outer surface of the shank portionof the tool.
 4. The releasable component of claim 3, wherein, uponengagement between the shank portion of the tool and the tool interfaceof the releasable component, the detent ball is configured to deflect ina direction towards the spring upon contact between the detent ball anda surface of the tool interface.
 5. The releasable component of claim 4,wherein the detent ball is configured to maintain contact and provide afriction fit with the surface of the tool interface based on the biasingforce applied to the detent ball from the spring, thereby releasablycoupling the tool to the releasable component.
 6. The releasablecomponent of claim 2, wherein the tool interface of the proximal end ofthe component body comprises a recess configured to receive the shankportion of the tool within and the detent ball and spring assemblycomprises a spring and detent ball positioned within an apertureextending from an interior surface of the recess, wherein the spring isconfigured to apply a biasing force against the detent ball such that aportion of the detent ball extends out of an opening of the aperture andinto an interior of the recess.
 7. The releasable component of claim 6,wherein, upon insertion of the shank portion of the tool into theinterior of the recess, the detent ball is configured to deflect in adirection away from the shank portion and towards the spring uponcontact between the detent ball and an outer surface of the shankportion.
 8. The releasable component of claim 7, wherein the detent ballis configured to maintain contact and provide a friction fit with theouter surface of the shank portion based on the biasing force applied tothe detent ball from the spring, thereby releasably coupling the tool tothe releasable component.
 9. The releasable component of claim 6,wherein the recess extends entirely through the component body from theproximal end to the distal end, such that the shank portion of the toolis configured to extend entirely through the component body and furtherextend into a recess of at least an additional releasable component,such that the releasable component and additional releasable componentare in stacked configuration along the shank portion of the tool. 10.The releasable component of claim 1, the releasable component isselected from a group consisting of a face insert, a damping insert, aweight member, a crown panel, a sole panel, a heel panel, a toe panel, askirt panel, and a combination of at least two thereof.
 11. A releasablecomponent for a golf club head, the releasable component comprising: acomponent body configured to be releasably coupled to a golf club headby way of a detent ball and spring assembly, the detent ball and springassembly configured to provide a friction fit between an attachmentfeature of the component body and an associated attachment feature ofthe golf club head.
 12. The releasable component of claim 11, whereinthe attachment feature of the component body comprises at least oneprotrusion extending from the component body and the attachment featureof the golf club head comprises at least one recess for receiving the atleast one protrusion within.
 13. The releasable component of claim 12,wherein the detent ball and spring assembly comprises a spring anddetent ball positioned within an aperture formed along a portion of theprotrusion, wherein the spring is configured to apply a biasing forceagainst the detent ball such that a portion of the detent ball extendsout of an opening of the aperture and along an outer surface of theprotrusion.
 14. The releasable component of claim 13, wherein, uponinsertion of the protrusion of the component body into the recess of thegolf club head, the detent ball is configured to deflect in a directionaway from an interior surface of the recess and towards the spring uponcontact between the detent ball and the interior surface of the recess,the detent ball is configured to maintain contact and provide a frictionfit with the interior surface of the recess based on the biasing forceapplied to the detent ball from the spring.
 15. The releasable componentof claim 12, wherein the detent ball and spring assembly comprises aspring and detent ball positioned within an aperture extending from aninterior surface of the recess, wherein the spring is configured toapply a biasing force against the detent ball such that a portion of thedetent ball extends out of an opening of the aperture and into aninterior of the recess.
 16. The releasable component of claim 15,wherein, upon insertion of the protrusion of the component body into theinterior of the recess, the detent ball is configured to deflect in adirection away from the protrusion and towards the spring upon contactbetween the detent ball and an outer surface of the protrusion, thedetent ball is configured to maintain contact and provide a friction fitwith the outer surface of the protrusion based on the biasing forceapplied to the detent ball from the spring.
 17. The releasable componentof claim 11, wherein the component body is selected from a groupconsisting of a face insert, a damping insert, a weight member, a crownpanel, a sole panel, a heel panel, a toe panel, a skirt panel, and acombination of at least two thereof.
 18. A golf club head comprising: aclub head body; a releasable component configured to be releasablycoupled to the club head body; and a coupling mechanism configured toprovide releasable coupling between an attachment feature of thereleasable component and a corresponding attachment feature of the clubhead body; wherein one of the attachment features comprises a malefastener member and the other attachment feature comprises a femalefastener member.
 19. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein thecoupling mechanism comprises a detent ball and spring assemblycomprising a spring and detent ball positioned within an aperture formedalong a portion of the male fastener member, the spring is configured toapply a biasing force against the detent ball such that a portion of thedetent ball extends out of an opening of the aperture and along an outersurface of the male fastener member, wherein, upon insertion of the malefastener member into an interior of the female fastener member, thedetent ball is configured to deflect in a direction away from aninterior surface of the female fastener member and towards the springupon contact between the ball and the interior surface of the femalefastener member, the detent ball is configured to maintain contact andprovide a friction fit with the interior surface of the female fastenermember based on the biasing force applied to the detent ball from thespring, thereby releasably coupling the releasable component to the clubhead body.
 20. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein the couplingmechanism comprises a detent ball and spring assembly comprising aspring and detent ball positioned within an aperture extending from aninterior surface of the female fastener member, the spring is configuredto apply a biasing force against the detent ball such that a portion ofthe detent ball extends out of an opening of the aperture and into aninterior of the female fastener member, wherein, upon insertion of themale fastener member into the interior of the female fastener member,the detent ball is configured to deflect in a direction away from themale fastener member and towards the spring upon contact between thedetent ball and an outer surface of the male fastener member, the detentball is configured to maintain contact and provide a friction fit withthe outer surface of the male fastener member based on the biasing forceapplied to the detent ball from the spring, thereby releasably couplingthe releasable component to the club head body.